8 ways to reduce foot swelling during pregnancy

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It’s completely normal to experience some swelling in pregnancy, particularly in your legs, ankles, feet and fingers, which can often be worse at the end of the day. Why does it happen? Your growing uterus can interrupt blood flow and cause more fluid to stay in your leg veins, with the extra liquid going into nearby tissue,…

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6 ways to manage dry & brittle nails affected by menopause

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The menopause can be a challenging time for women, with many lacking confidence and feeling undervalued. Looking good on the outside can give the confidence boost needed to feel good on the inside, and having strong and healthy nails is a great place to start. Menopause is so much more than hot flushes and night…

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4 powerful hand mudras and how to use them

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Scratch chats to James Divine, palmistry teacher, author and founder of The Divine Hand Palmistry about the meanings of mudras, and how you can use them in everyday life… First of all, what exactly is a mudra? “A mudra is a Sanskrit word meaning to seal, mark, or gesture. It has two traditional uses; one…

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Nail techs, here’s how you can prevent hand & wrist pain

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Scratch sources advice for those that suffer with hand and wrist pain, so you can stop feeling the strain… Samantha Sweet, co-founder of Sweet Squared, shares that repetitive strain injury and carpal tunnel syndrome will always be a likelihood for pros, due to the nature of the job. “Filing is the biggest culprit to cause CTS,…

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4 ways to empower your nail business’ employees

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Lucy Pastorelli, founder of Lucy Pastorelli Tools, shares how she empowers her team… 1. Create inclusion. Everyone has an opinion, and we always make sure that we listen to each member of staff – whether they’ve been employed at LP for five weeks or five years. Each point of view is always valid, and I…

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My experience of Salon System’s dual lash & brow lift system

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To celebrate the launch of Salon System‘s new dual treatment lash & brow lift system, I headed to 58 South Molton Street in London to experience a brow lamination myself. With the brow lamination and lash lift becoming increasingly popular with customers, Salon System has created a two in one system to help the demand.…

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Update: Allergies, nail products & potential risks

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Marian Newman, chair of the FNP, shares important information for nail services… IBOA (isobournyl acrylate) is being used as a semi-permanent adhesive for cancer and diabetic patients. This could cause an overexposure to this specific acrylate. What does this mean? If a UV gel polish has this ingredient it may NOT be the UV gel…

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My life as a dyslexic & dyspraxic nail technician

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Jade Mullin, Owner of Jade Mullin Academy and Educator for Glitterbels shares what it is like working as a dyslexic and dyspraxic nail technician… After having a long passion for nails I started training in nails in 2019. I am now qualified in hard gel enhancements, acrylic enhancements, gel polish and the use of an E-file.…

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Behind-the-scenes of a mental health awareness photo shoot

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Nail tech and educator, Lisa Graves, shares the story behind a mental health awareness photo shoot… “The last year was a difficult one for everyone across the globe and, subsequently, awareness of mental health issues was heightened. Whenever I saw advertising or social media posts based around mental health, images used were always very sad.…

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